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Comprised of vocalist Anna Toy and keyboardist Andy Toy, Moxi is a Los Angeles duo producing lilting electronic music centered around brooding, textural layers of composition, as well as ethereal vocal performances and melodies.

by PopMatters Staff

Mike Schiller: “Strobelite” is a perfect example of what made HUMANZ such a difficult album by Gorillaz standards: While Gorillaz have never been shy about adding guest vocalists to their songs, HUMANZ is practically a mixtape more than it is a proper album. If you heard “Strobelite” on the radio, you’d never know it was Gorillaz. Its disco-R&B intentions are shockingly straightforward, and there’s no Damon Albarn to temper Peven Everett’s vocal style. It’s a perfectly dance-ready slice of retro bounce, and the video drives home its affiliation with Albarn’s animated gang of talented hooligans but divorced from the album, it’s very difficult to hear this as Gorillaz. It’s a fine enough song searching for a true sense of identity. [6/10]

by PopMatters Staff

Chris Ingalls: Pure Comedy is a giant leap forward for Father John Misty, not just in terms of his already high “mystique” factor; it also shows his songwriting prowess growing by leaps and bounds. The piano-led compositions and analog studio techniques show a maturity that falls somewhere between Brian Wilson, Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson, all major-seventh orchestrations and heart-on-sleeve vocalizing. Indie rock isn’t supposed to be this sophisticated. Thank goodness Josh Tillman is here to break conventions. [9/10]

by PopMatters Staff

Ian Rushbury: Khalid comes across like De La Soul’s nephew. “Young, Dumb and Broke” manages to be wryly funny and meaningful at the same time. Throw in a bit of teenage angst and you’ve got yourself a summertime smash—people are going to be singing the chorus in shopping malls all across the U.S of A, all the way to Christmas. The video is cute, too. [8/10]

For their third record, Boy in a Well , Denver’s the Yawpers crafted a concept album set in France just after World War I about a young mother abandoning her newborn child. It’s an emotionally rich album full of plot that comes with an illustrated comic book illustrated by J.D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers that details every twist in the story. Chock full of rocking blues, a bit of psychobilly, and garage rock underpinned with Americana aesthetics, Boy in a Well releasing August 18th via Bloodshot Records, is a huge step forward for the band.